


Good-bye, Gavin Free

by IrisCarlyle



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: M/M, Mavin, Pain
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-18
Updated: 2014-06-18
Packaged: 2018-02-05 06:16:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,736
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1808395
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IrisCarlyle/pseuds/IrisCarlyle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Gavin Free is on his deathbed, and Michael spends most of the departure of his dear friend alone and away. Saying good-bye is always hard, regardless of who it is</p>
            </blockquote>





	Good-bye, Gavin Free

He was connected to wires from every inch of his body, all of them itching into machines that beeped or gurgled, flashing across a screen to represent his life. In life you should be represented by how many times you laughed, or cried, or drank coffee. But for Gavin Free all it came down to was a line that jumped up and down: his heartbeat.  
"He's not going to be here for much longer," the doctor said sadly with a clipboard in his hand as he watched the sleeping Brit on the hospital bed. "Ten hours, eighteen if we're lucky. Mr. Free is mostly sleeping now, you might be able to say your goodbyes before he looses consciousness for the last time. I'm sorry folks, we did all we could do." The man truly looked devastated, his hands flickering just slightly towards him with the air of remorse yet finality. He had seen death before, and this was no exception.  
"Alright, thank you Dr. Rorobern," Geoff said with his head in his hands. "Can we stay with him until he… until he goes?"  
Dr. Rorobern nodded, "of course. I'll leave you in here, if I see any more of your company I'll be sure to let them in. Call me if you need me, I'll be down the hall." And then he was gone, leaving Geoff and Michael to look over their dying friend and coworker.  
"Geoff -"  
"He's going, Michael. He's really fucking going." Geoff was on the verge of tears, and he sat himself on the chair at the end of Gavin's bed, looking him down with the same look a father would regard his son.  
Michael plastered himself against a wall, trying to get as far away as possible from the dying man. He didn't even look like Gavin anymore - he was more machine then man, his face was exempt of any color and his eyes were closed like he was already dead. There was an air over him that sweetly rotted, just like his brain cells that were the reason of this departure.  
Everyone always joked that Gavin was an idiot, that there was something wrong with his brain. And in the end, that was what was wrong with him really - his heart was fine, his eyes were perfect, even his joints weren't in better shape for a 31 year old man. His mind however, resembled the decay of that of someone who was in their 90's. It was medically mind-blowing, but it was the reality that the office faced. They had known Gavin was sick for several months, but it all came to a screeching halt two days ago when he passed out in the middle of a Lets Play, only to awaken three hours ago when Dr. Rorobern was sure that the decay had reached it's limit.  
"We need to tell Meg." Michael said, tears brimming in his eyes. "She's in California right now -"  
"She won't be able to make it, Michael." Geoff said, looking up from Gavin and at Michael with his eyes red.  
The red haired man swallowed before looking harder at Geoff, "I think Cain deserves to know why his father is never coming home. Or tell Meg. God, he's only a year and half…" Michael turned away from Geoff and Gavin because if he has to see those faces any longer he'd vomit all over the floor.  
"I'm calling the guys and Burnie in, you need to call his parents. Tell them, prepare the… the funeral."  
Michael nodded without recognition and walked out of Gavin's room, not even looking at him or anyone as he walked down the hall and down the stairs into the hospital gardens, trying to find some solace in the heat of Austin. It was almost silent beside a man being on the phone and gently sobbing. Someone died and someone was dying, this was life.  
Michael sat on a bench, hidden by some bushes and trees from the crying man and everyone else. It took him a moment to reach for his phone, too much sadness was overwhelming him he was shaking visibly. For when Michael felt anger it was a typhoon, and when he was sad, it was a hurricane. Swallowing, his typed in a number. "Lindsay? Yea, no, he's not doing good. He'll be dead in the morning. Fucking right I'm distraught! He's my best friend! No, don't bring Rachel and Leviathan, they're too young for this. Rachel's only four and Levi's one, Lins' Seriously. Don't bring them. Yes, come, now. Alright… yea, love you too." And then it came to the hard part… telling Mr. and Mrs. Free that their son would die without them.  
"Caroline… ? Hi, it's me, Michael. Any news on Gavin? Is Jeremiah on the phone, too? He should be, I… I think he'd want to hear this. No, no Caroline he's not going good at all. Hello Jeremiah, about Gavin… he's… um… how do I say this? He's… going to be dead in the morning… He's doing terrible, his brain is gone… I… I'm so sorry for your loss. Yes… you should come to Austin as soon as possible, you might be able to say good-bye… thank you… I'm sorry… good-bye." They were crying with every inch of them and Michael could barely take it.  
He sat on that bench for two hours without even moving. It took Ray looking for him to take him back into the room. Everyone else was crying, but not Michael, he couldn't find it in him. He was too… hollow.  
The entire office was in Gavin's room. Burnie was at the head, followed by Geoff and the Achievement Hunters. Gus, Miles, Barb, all staring at Gavin who slept so peacefully. Like he was already dead. There was red eyes everywhere tinted in regret that it was him going and not them.  
"Team Lads is broken now," Ray said bluntly with his hand against Michael. "Just… you and I now. Fuck, I'm going to be sick."  
Michael looked at Ray, earnest and sad, "call me in when he wakes up. I don't want to be in here, too many people, too many tears." Ray nodded and Michael was gone again to that bench.  
@@@  
"Michael… he's awake… and he's calling your name." Ray said over the phone. "No one else is in there, everyone already said good-bye. He's almost gone… hurry."  
Michael had never run so quickly in his life. Up the stairs, across the hall. Everyone was waiting in the waiting area, looking at Michael with interest and tears. They all wanted to know why the Brit wanted Michael, but no one asked.  
"Micoo…" Gavin coughed from his bed, his eyes barely open the his voice just making it to the man. He hardly sounded like anything anymore, just a voice in the void. "My ly'tle Micoo."  
In a time like this, Gavin shouldn't be calling him that name, but his humor didn't seem to vanish from him. "My boi." Michael could barely make it to Gavin, almost crawling up to look him in the face.  
They sat there for some time, embracing and not saying a word. It seemed like every breath would be Gavin's last, so when he spoke, Michael jumped a little. Instead of death, there was life.  
"You know, Micoo, it was always you. I always loved… you. I loved Meg too, but only because I knew I could never be with you. You were my," he coughed, "my dream."  
Gavin's confession seemed like such a shocker to Michael's bones he was silent for so long it seemed like Gavin had died in his arms. The fact that his best friend, his biggest secret, was in love with him. And he was confessing it to him on his death bed, how he loved him… how he was… his dream. Michael was someone's dream, and it blew him away. He turned to face Gavin. "You know," he whispered. "I always thought it'd be me in that bed and you living. I'd do anything do die in your place Gavin, because you are so beautiful… you are shining and you are life and… and I love you, too. For some reason I do, and I always have. I will never forget you Gavin - " he started to cry, just two tear drops falling down. Gavin's breath was failing, he was on the verge of dying, and Michael leaned down to kiss Gavin like a ghost. "I love you," he whispered into his mouth and closing his eyes. Gavin failed then, going limp and his breath ceased.  
"I love you too, forever." And Gavin Free was dead.  
@@@  
"We are here today to honor Gavin Free." It was his funeral, his parents were at the head of the cemetery looking into the grave of the son they thought they knew. But in the end, it was Michael who knew Gavin free.  
Michael touched his lips, remembering the one and only kiss they shared on Gavin's death bed. In Michael's arms, Levi squirmed, looking towards where Aunt Meg, dressed in black, held Cain with a hollowness. She was a widow by name, but Michael was a widow of heart.  
"Come on… let's go say our goodbyes." Lindsay said, talking more to Levi and Rachel then Michael, but it took him from his day dreaming and he followed Lindsay to where Gavin lay in a box.  
The voice continued, "he was a brave man. An idiot, if anything, but brave. Gavin Free will be remembered for his humor and his intelligence which came to work together in some mad, yet great, fashion…" The voice continued about who Gavin Free was and what he done. How he was a great man, and how so many people would miss him. His wife and child, his parents and little brother. Gavin was leaving a ghost behind him, a ghost that wouldn't leave anyone.  
The funeral dragged on. Through the words people said - Michael refused to say anything, in fear he'd cry or confess his love, too - and to piling earth upon Gavin's grave. Soon, everyone was gone and left. Only Michael remained, looking at the tombstone of where Gavin lay for the rest of eternity. Michael didn't believe in God, but he hoped that somewhere Gavin was happy.  
He touched the tombstone and smiled bitterly, "good-bye, Gavin Free." And then he turned to follow Lindsay, away.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm sorry. Hope you enjoyed, comment and kudo!


End file.
